Today I’ve got the coolest recipe for you. It’s really wonderful, guys. I’m super excited for you to fire up your ovens and give some eggplants the cozy spa treatment that they deserve. Yes, we’re making Slow Roasted Eggplant today. And MAN am I happy to have discovered this fantastic method for cooking one of the most overlooked and underutilized veggies, the humble eggplant. Moreover, we’re going to dress up these glorious custard cups with toasted, salty, garlicky, olive oily walnuts, peppery arugula, and some plump n’ juicy roasted shrimp. Incidentally, this is also the very best way to cook shrimp.
I’ll definitely go into greater detail as to the mechanics of it all, in case you’re interested in learning a little more about the method to my madness. We’ll dive into the details, and cover how to slow roast eggplant. Or, if you really could absolutely care less about the why’s of it all (it’s cool, I get it) then go right on ahead and jump to the recipe itself. I will neither judge nor fault you for it.
(Nor will I know you even did it, TBH)
Why slow roasting is the best WAY to cook eggplant
I’ll pretty much take eggplant any way you’ll give it to me, if I’m being honest. Eggplant is really delicious when it’s breaded and fried, as in a classic Eggplant Parmigiana (this is the best recipe I’ve ever made. Alex really nailed it). I’ve got a healthy eggplant parm here on MKL, if you want a faster, easier way to enjoy the flavors in this classic dish.
Eggplant is delicious when sautéed and quickly stir-fried, as you’d find in some amazing authentic Chinese dishes (like this Eggplant with Garlic Sauce – which I’ve made and LOVED). It’s wonderful when chopped and cooked into a flavorful relish or spread, such as classic Italian caponata.
BUT. I think my favorite way to enjoy eggplant is when it is cooked in a big, globe-like portion (each person gets a half-eggplant here) until it is practically a custard, and then topped with intentionally selected things that support it, helping the humble eggplant be all that it can be.
When you set the oven to a formidable temperature and then let the halved eggplants just cook until they’re practically crying uncle – they will start to cave in on themselves toward the very end – you wind up with something kind of unexpected. This is one of the coolest things about this recipe. It’s just a little bit different.
What you’ll need
You could really stop just at the eggplant here, if you like. But even though the eggplant part of this recipe is really great, it needs some fat and it needs some crunch. So, enter: luscious yogurt and walnuts. I prepare walnuts like this weekly now. I am truly obsessed with toasting nuts, and then adding lots of olive oil, fresh garlic, and lemon to them.
It’s addictive, this method of nut cookery, and you can spoon them over, on top of, and all around so many things. There is literally no comparison between plain ole nuts and nuts that are given this special treatment. It’s worth doing a million times over.
The Optional Tomato
Okay, so I opted to slather some punchy, tangy tomato paste all over the cut sides of my eggplant halves before roasting. I did this because I love tomato paste, but also because I really want to get a caramelized, almost menacingly dark char to that flesh. The interior will be very light and soft and pudding-esque, so I like to put something on the eggplant that will cause a reaction to the surface that will totally stand out against all of that softness.
That said, if it seems unnecessary to you, or the idea of blackened eggplant aint your thang – no worries. You can skip it.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggplants, halved lengthwise (just regular eggplants are fine – nothing fancy)
Olive oil, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup tomato paste, optional
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1.5 cups walnuts, roughly chopped, salted if you can find them that way
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or labneh
One heaping cup fresh arugula, or as needed
A lemon
Flaky sea salty, to finish
How to slow roast eggplant
This is a super simple recipe that essentially just lives here on MKL to demonstrate a fantastic way to really show off the potential of the humble eggplant. By slow-roasting it, you give it a chance to sort of ease into itself, creating an almost custard-like consistency that is not unlike a pudding, honestly.
Anyway, here’s how to slow roast eggplant:
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust one rack to the middle position, and the other to the upper/top third position. Cover two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a small knife, make about four ½-inch deep incisions across the eggplant’s flesh – you can do this straight across, diagonally, even cross-hatch. Anything goes! Drizzle each cut side of the eggplant with a few tablespoons of olive oil (it will drink it up) and season with salt and pepper. If desired, rub with a little tomato paste (this will caramelize in a most dramatic way, almost blackening the surface of the eggplant).
Place flesh side down on one of the baking sheets and roast, undisturbed, for about 40 minutes. It will be super tender and almost starting to totally collapse.
Meanwhile, put the shrimp on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for the last 6.5 to 7 minutes of the eggplant’s cook time, on the upper rack (no longer! Maybe less!) or until just cooked.
Put the walnuts in a dry skillet set over medium heat. Let them toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you smell them, they’re ready. Turn off the heat and add about ¼ cup olive oil to the nuts, along with the zest of the lemon and the garlic. If your nuts were not salted, season the mixture generously with salt. Stir to blend.
To serve, spread the yogurt on the bottom of a big platter or plate. Alternatively, you can divide this between 4 individual plates. Plate the eggplants next, and spoon the garlicky, lemony walnuts and their oil all over them. Scatter with fresh arugula – as much as you like – and cut/squeeze the lemon over top. Finish with flaky sea salt.
If you like the looks of this Slow Roasted Eggplant recipe, you might also enjoy:
Golden Cauliflower Gratin with Hazelnuts
Slow Roasted Eggplant with Garlicky Walnuts and Shrimp
Custardy and unbelievably soft, these slow-roasted eggplant are literally fall-apart tender and make the coziest beds for some crunchy, garlicky walnuts and juicy roasted shrimp. A great light meal or, to add more heft, serve with some Israeli couscous on the side.
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants, halved lengthwise (just regular eggplants are fine – nothing fancy)
- Olive oil, as needed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup tomato paste, optional
- 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1.5 cups walnuts, roughly chopped, salted if you can find them that way
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or labneh
- 1 heaping cup fresh arugula, or as needed
- 1 lemon
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust one rack to the middle position, and the other to the upper/top third position. Cover two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a small knife, make about four ½-inch deep incisions across each eggplant’s flesh – you can do this straight across, diagonally, even cross-hatch. Anything goes! Drizzle each cut side of the eggplant with a few tablespoons of olive oil (it will really drink it up) and season very well with salt and pepper. If desired, rub a tablespoon or so of tomato paste onto the cut sides of the eggplant (this will caramelize in a most dramatic, menacing way, essentially blackening the surface of the eggplant).Â
- Place the eggplant halves flesh side down on one of the baking sheets and roast, undisturbed, for about 40 to 45 minutes. They will be super tender and almost starting to totally collapse at this point.Â
- Meanwhile, put the shrimp on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. If you like, you can add a tablespoon of the tomato paste and toss the shrimp with that as well – up to you! Roast for the last 6.5 to 7 minutes of the eggplant’s cook time, on the upper rack (No longer! Maybe less!) or until just cooked.Â
- Put the walnuts in a dry skillet set over medium heat. Let them toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. When you smell them, they’re ready. Turn off the heat and add about ¼ cup olive oil to the nuts, along with the zest of the lemon and the garlic. If your nuts were not salted, season the mixture generously with salt. Stir to blend.
- To serve, spread the yogurt on the bottom of a big platter or plate. Alternatively, you can divide this between 4 individual plates. Plate the eggplants next, right over the yogurt, and spoon the garlicky, lemony walnuts and their oil all over them. Scatter with fresh arugula – as much as you like – and cut/squeeze the lemon over top. Finish with flaky sea salt.Â
